Cincinnati – The City of Cincinnati has approved the final design of the shelters that will be built at Streetcar stations, an important step as planning progresses on the transportation system that will bring more jobs, more development and more people to Cincinnati. Images of the station design are available at CincinnatiStreetcar.com and all Streetcar social media outlets listed below.

“The streetcar project is a series of smaller pieces that must come together before construction of the track begins. The shelter design is another milestone in that list of items.” said Chris Eilerman, the City’s Streetcar Project Manager. “This design combines a modern look, while at the same time, fits in with the historic architecture served by the streetcar.”

The shelters, designed by Cincinnati-based DNK Architects and chosen because of their clean, simple and modular approach, are U.S. Department of Transportation ‘Buy America’ compliant. After researching stations along streetcar routes in several cities, DNK Architects developed a design that would be easily recognized and protect riders from the elements for the short time they will be waiting at stops. There are 18 stations along the route.

“We designed the station structures to call to mind what the Streetcar will bring to Cincinnati – a public transportation system that everyone can use to connect to neighborhoods,” said David Kirk, founder and principle architect, DNK Architects, and lead architect for the Streetcar station design. “We want people to look at the stations and see how easy, safe, and comfortable it is to explore all that Cincinnati has to offer.”

All elements of the station are designed to be durable, thin, light and elegant, while allowing in natural light and providing shelter from the weather. The materials selected to construct the stations are easy to maintain and repair because of their modular construction. Each station will include a route map, information about the Streetcar system and an electronic sign displaying the arrival time of the next car, as well as important messages for riders.

Selection of the station design was the final step in reaching a complete design on the first segment of the Streetcar. In order to reach final design, the Streetcar team completed a number of other critical steps, including surveys of the entire route, inspections of basements near the route that lie under sidewalks, coordination of vehicle options, completion of an independent peer review of the project and performance of a quality control review of the entire project.

Next steps for the project are continued negotiations to reach agreements with utility companies. The shelters will be built as part of the construction contract, which is scheduled to be bid in the first quarter of 2012.

Streetcar stations between Government Square and Findlay Market are currently marked by temporary signs posted on utility poles and fences along the route. Additional stations will be added to the route extension between Government Square and The Banks that was made possible with funding from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s TIGER III program. A map of the Streetcar’s stations is available at cincinnatistreetcar.com.

The first segment of the Streetcar will link The Banks to Findlay Market. Future additions will reach the University of Cincinnati, the zoo and other neighborhoods.